


Atonement

by SecretMaker



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Much fluffier than it sounds I promise, Multi, Prompt fill from a friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 07:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3520409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretMaker/pseuds/SecretMaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto, Sousuke, Rin, and Haru live perfectly harmonious lives together, most days.<br/>But when playful bickering goes too far and Makoto's had enough, how can the other three make it up to him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Atonement

3-10-15

Prompt: Cat wanted SouHaruRin being babies and then having to win Mako back.

Pairing: SouMakoHaruRin

Rating: T

 

                              “Who the fuck booby-trapped the fridge?” Haru allowed himself a smirk as he slipped on his shoes and started running to the background music of a roaring “NANASE!” He made it about half a block before Rin caught up with him and dragged him back sulking. Rin sat him down in the living room in front of a scowling Sousuke and a disapproving Makoto.

 

                              “It was Rin’s idea,” he blurted. Rin squawked indignantly and glared down at him.

 

                              “I was _joking,_ ” Rin sniffed. Haru glared at him, but didn’t bother arguing. He sat in apathetic silence, waiting for the ax to fall.

 

                              “What the fuck, Nanase?” Sousuke growled. Haru blinked up at him, reveling in the murderous shadow that was creeping across Sousuke’s face.

 

                              “Haru,” Makoto groaned, “Why do you feel the need to antagonize Sousuke?”

 

                              “Because he’s him,” Haru answered plainly. Sousuke nodded in agreement. Makoto paused for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose, then exploded into motion.

 

                              “I’m done with all of you,” he shouted over his shoulder as he stormed into the kitchen. Haru, Rin, and Sousuke blinked at each other in surprise.

 

                              “I don’t think I’ve ever heard him that mad,” Sousuke noted. A deathly quiet filled the room, emanating from the doorway to the kitchen.

 

                              “We fucked up,” Rin whispered.

 

 

 

                              ME: [WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MAKO-CHAN?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?!?!]

 

                              RINRIN: [Nagisa, how the hell do you hear things so fast?”

 

                              ME:[don’t change the subject rinrin]

 

                              RINRIN: [Fuck off, Nagisa, we’re trying to fix it.]

                             

                              ME: [ok don’t accept my help mako-chans just gonna cry and hate you]

 

                              Nagisa smiled down at his phone, waiting. A full thirty seconds later, it lit up again, and he could all but hear Rin’s groan of acquiescence.

 

                              RINRIN: [What do you want?]

 

                              Nagisa grinned up at Rei in triumph, who adjusted his glasses and took several steps back out of reflex.

 

                              ME: [strawberry cheesecake. my place. 2 oclock.]

 

 

 

                              “When did we reach this point?” Rin groaned from his place hanging off of Sousuke as the brunet paid for Nagisa’s treat.

 

                              “Do you really want to go into that?” Sousuke growled. Rin kicked at Sousuke’s shin and declined to reply. They left the store, ignoring the storm cloud that was Haru. Despite his glare, he followed them, tugged along by the harness that was attached to the leash in Rin’s hand.

 

                              They arrived at Nagisa’s apartment at 3:30, already exhausted. Nagisa opened the door, glared at them for a few seconds, then stomped away.

 

                              “Do I even _want_ to know why this warranted the Haru Leash?” he shouted. “You know, when I gave it to you, it was supposed to be a joke.”

 

                              “It works,” Rin said with a shrug, unbuckling his scowling boyfriend. “Besides, he deserved it,” he added, dodging Haru’s punch to his gut. “It’s his fault Makoto’s upset.”

 

                              “Your idea,” Haru grumbled, then disappeared into Nagisa’s kitchen.

 

                              “Speaking of,” Nagisa said, and Rin groaned at his Therapist Nagisa Time voice, “do you even know why Mako-chan’s upset?” Rin glanced at Sousuke, who shrugged.

 

                              “Because we made a mess?” Rin guessed.

 

                              “It’s because,” said Rei, coming in with a tray of drinks in one hand and Haru’s ear in the other, “the three of you rarely behave in a manner befitting mature adults.”

 

                              “Y’all a bunch of babies,” Nagisa added, helpfully. Rei rolled his eyes and released Haru, who sat and leaned into Sousuke.

 

                              “He doesn’t get why we fight so much,” he said. Rin and Sousuke both swiveled to look at him.

 

                              “That’s right, Haru-chan!” Nagisa crowed. “Mako-chan’s a lover, not a fighter. He’s all about the peace. So when you three start being you three, he feels like you’re fighting for real, and he doesn’t know what to do about it. It scares him.”

 

                              “That’s… actually very wise, Nagisa-kun,” Rei said, looking down at his boyfriend, impressed.

 

                              “I’m a wise person,” Nagisa agreed before shoving an entire slice of strawberry cheesecake into his mouth. Rei looked at him with an expression halfway between disgust and adoration. “Seriously, though, we know better, but sometimes it’s like the three of you don’t like each other at all.”

 

                              “But we do,” Rin argued.

 

                              “We know that, but it’s hard to tell sometimes,” Nagisa said. “I think all you need to do is make sure Mako-Chan knows it too.”

 

                             

 

                              “Are you sure about this?” Rin whispered as they snuck into their own house. “There’s no way this will work.”

 

                              “Were you not paying attention at all?” Sousuke grumbled. “Mako’s out with Hazuki and Gou, he’ll be gone for a few hours. That gives us just enough time, so you get cleaning and Nanase and I will start on dinner.” Rin saluted his tallest boyfriend and whirled around to start. Sousuke chuckled and looped an arm around Haru’s neck. “Come on, Nanase,” he said softly. “You start on the cake, I’ll get to work on the curry.” Haru nodded and set to work.

 

                              There was a harmony to the house when they were like this. Sousuke and Haru could hear Rin humming and singing to himself as he dusted in the living room. In the kitchen, they moved around each other with a grace and ease that could only come with long hours of practice, almost as though they were dancing to the sound of the redhead in the other room. Sousuke sighed to himself as he reached around Haru to grab a pot, ducking as he did so to kiss the smaller man on the top of his head.

 

                              “Haru,” he said suddenly. The other looked up sharply at the use of his given name. “What Hazuki said, I just- You know I love you, right?” Sousuke forced himself to meet Haru’s eyes, terrified for once of what he would find there. Haru put a hand on his arm and stroked his thumb against the skin there.

 

                              “I know,” he answered. “And I know that you know I love you too.” Sousuke slipped an arm around Haru’s waist and pulled him in close. They stood like that for uncountable moments, just breathing each other in.

 

                              “Oi!” Rin’s voice broke through their bubble, shattering the atmosphere. Rin ducked his head around the doorway, glaring at them. “I will not be the only one doing any work while you two stand there and snuggle,” he snapped. “Get to it.” Sousuke laughed and let Haru go, turning back to the curry.

 

                              “Are you ready, Rin?” he asked.

 

                              “Almost,” the redhead answered, coming into the kitchen fully. “Just needed the candles. They’re in the cabinet to your left, Sou.” Sousuke reached up and retrieved them for his shorter boyfriend, who scurried off as soon as they were in his grasp.

 

                              “I seriously hope he hasn’t gone overboard,” he mumbled.

 

                              “And we haven’t?” Haru had a point, as he was currently molding several roses out of chocolate for the cake that was baking.

 

                              “Nah.”

 

 

 

                              Makoto heaved a weary sigh, eying the door to his house. It was quiet and dark inside, but he knew the others were home. Makoto knew he shouldn’t have blown up at them like that, but there were times when he just didn’t know how else to get through to them. It felt as though he didn’t speak their language sometimes. Sighing again, he turned the knob and went inside, steeling himself for what he would find.

 

                              Whatever he had been expecting, it was certainly not this.

 

                              The entryway was swept clean of clutter, every shelf and table lined with candles. Slipping out of his shoes, he stepped deeper into the house, only to find that the candles went farther, creating a trail. He followed them, marveling at the way they flickered and cast soft shadows on the living room and the kitchen, which were also cleaner than he could remember seeing them. The trail stopped at the door to the dining room, and so did Makoto. He pressed a shaking hand to the wood, uncertain, then pushed it open.

 

                              There stood Sousuke, Rin, and Haru, all dressed in their best clothes, facing him in a line. Makoto froze in the doorway, staring. Rin and Sousuke stepped forward, each taking one of Makoto’s arms and leading him to where Haru was pulling out a chair in front of a plate of green curry. The table had four of them, along with a massive bouquet of roses and even more candles. The other three took their seats and watched him. Makoto looked around at each of them in turn, then burst into tears.

 

                              “Shit! No, Mako, please don’t cry!”

 

                              “Makoto, what’s wrong?”

 

                              “Come on, baby, don’t cry.”

 

                              As one, all three burst out of their seats and crowded around him, wiping his cheeks, petting his hair, stroking his arms. Someone, probably Rin judging by the teardrops that were falling into Makoto’s hair, was hugging his entire head to his chest.

 

                              “I- I’m okay,” he managed at last, and they all backed off slightly. “I’m s-sorry, I just-“

 

                              “Don’t apologize, Mako,” Rin soothed. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

 

                              “B-but I y-yelled at y-you, and I g-got m-mad and-“ Haru crouched down next to him, resting his head on Makoto’s lap.

 

                              “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Sousuke reiterated. “We’re the ones who were fighting all the time.”

 

                              “Mako,” Rin sighed, “we know we’re not easy to understand. We bicker all the time, and we know you hate it.”

 

                              “I don’t hate-“

 

                              “Yes you do,” interrupted Haru. He swiveled his head around to look Makoto in the eye.

 

                              “We wanted to make it up to you,” Sousuke said. “I’m not saying we can change, or that we would even if we could, but we just wanted to remind you how much we love you. And that none of us are going anywhere.”

 

                              “And that we love each other too,” Haru added, looking at Sousuke for some reason. Rin nodded fervently.

 

                              Makoto looked around again, struggling to think of a way to put them all at ease. He took a bite of the curry, which seemed to do the trick. When he moaned in absolute ecstasy, Haru climbed up off of the floor and they all returned to their seats.

 

                              “Don’t eat too much of that,” Rin joked. “You won’t have room for the cake.”

 

                              “Cake?” Makoto squealed. Even Haru laughed at that.

**Author's Note:**

> Take candy from strangers over at [Tumblr!](http://notsuchasecret.tumblr.com)


End file.
